Therapeutic methods have been known in which a substance (a sheet shaped therapeutic substance), formed in a thin sheet shape, is affixed to an affected area of a patient. As part of a regenerative therapy conducted in recent years, in particular, the therapeutic methods have heretofore been conducted for application of a sheet (a cell sheet) made of an externally cultured cell. For the sake of executing such therapeutic methods, the cell sheet needs to be transferred to the affected area and accurately applied thereto. There is also likelihood in some cases that the affected area belongs to the inside (such as digestive organs) of a human body. In such likelihood, the cell sheet needs to be transferred toward the inside of the human body and carry out work for affixing the cell sheet to the affected area while observing the same from the outside. This results in need to use a dedicated device.
Patent Document 1 describes about an apparatus including a head, mounted on a distal end of a syringe, which has a distal end formed with a holding surface on which a sheet shaped substance is held in place. The holding surface has small apertures that are filled with liquid, which is depressurized such that the sheet shaped substance is adsorbed onto the holding surface. Manipulating the syringe enables controls to be performed for depressurizing or pressurizing liquid. Liquid may suffice to be depressurized for transfer of the sheet shaped substance and pressurized for affixing step.
Patent Document 2 describes about an apparatus including a sheet supporting body (head) available to be switched between two kinds of planar and cylindrical shapes. The sheet supporting body also includes an opening portion and depressurizing air in the opening portion allows a sheet shaped substance to be adsorbed. With the sheet supporting body made cylindrical in shape during transfer, further, the whole of the sheet can be accommodated in a tube for enabling the sheet shaped substance to be protected. Also, this makes it possible to easily transfer the sheet supporting body into the living body. When mounting the sheet shaped substance or when affixing the same, the sheet shaped substance is made planar in shape, resulting in a capability of easily performing such works.
Patent Document 3 describes about an apparatus in which a balloon, adapted to inflate with internal air being pressurized, is incorporated in a part of an outer tube to allow a sheet shaped substance to be adsorbed onto a surface of the balloon. With such a structure, the sheet shaped substance is adsorbed onto the surface of the balloon with the balloon being deflated, enabling the outer tube to be inserted to the human body. Subsequently, the balloon is moved to a location in close proximity to an affected area, under which the balloon is inflated. This allows the sheet shaped substance to move in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the outer tube, thereby enabling the sheet shaped substance to be affixed to the affected area. In this case, since an endoscope or the like can also be incorporated in the outer tube at the same time, it becomes possible to conduct work for application of the sheet shaped substance while observing such work with the endoscope.
By using such apparatuses, it is capable of accurately and safely perform works for transferring the sheet shaped substance, such as the cell sheet or the like, to the affected area and affixing the same thereto.